Matt Durand

Matt Durand serves as Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, with a secondary faculty appointment in Physiology. His work bridges vascular biology, exercise physiology, and rehabilitation science, focusing on improving outcomes for stroke survivors and elderly surgical patients.

Education:

• PhD in Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin (2010)
• Postdoctoral Training, Medical College of Wisconsin (2015)
• BA in Biology, Lawrence University (2005)

Research centers on microvascular dysfunction in stroke and aging populations. Key areas include:

• Ischemic conditioning to enhance blood flow and muscle performance in stroke survivors
• Mechanisms of functional sympatholysis during exercise
• Microvascular resiliency in elderly surgical candidates
• Role of PGC-1α in vascular protection

His laboratory collaborates with Marquette University's Physical Therapy Department and MCW's Cardiovascular Research Center.

Recent publications demonstrate how ischemic conditioning interventions improve walking speed, reduce neuromuscular fatigability, and enhance microvascular reactivity in chronic stroke survivors. Emerging work applies machine learning to rehabilitation outcomes and explores sex-specific vascular responses in transgender healthcare.

No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.

Durand leads the Cardiovascular Center Research program and mentors collaborative projects examining high-intensity interval exercise stress in elderly individuals. His NIH-funded work investigates whether ischemic conditioning serves as effective prehabilitation for frail surgical patients, with active grants focusing on microvascular responses to external stressors.

The Durand Lab operates within MCW's Cardiovascular Research Center (MEB, M4845), utilizing advanced techniques including isolated resistance artery video microscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy to study endothelial function in stroke and aging populations.